Flush valve



Fume 2 i933 M. WARD 2,122,18

FLUSH VALVE Filed Nov. 1o, 193e INVENTOR M/CHA WA l B eV Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES ATENT GFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to ush valves and deals more particularly with the diaphragm type of valve known as flushometer valve and is an improvement on the structure shown in my application filed December 3, 1935, Serial No. 52,626.

The invention contemplates the provision of an economically constructed, simple, and positive acting valve comprising few parts which are readily and quickly assembled.

Another contemplated feature of the invention resides in the no-vel construction of the auxiliary tilting valve employed in the device.

A further contemplated feature resides in the main valve being integrally formed with the seat for the auxiliary tilting valve.

The invention has for its further object the provision, of novel means for equalizing the pressures in the chambers to each side of the diaphragm.

A still further vobject resides in the provision of syphon preventing means to obviate the; possibility of back-syphonage from the sewage system toV the fresh water supply and thus effectively preventing contamination..

With the foregoing features and objectsv in mind and many others which-Will later become' apparent, the invention resides in the novel constructional details and in their novel combination and arrangement as illustrated in the. accompanying drawing in which is depicted an embodiment of the invention as at present. contemplated.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional View through a flush valve showing therfeatures of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the main valve sleeve.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail View showing the improved syphon breaking' means.

Fig. 4 is a similar-view of an alternate formof pressure equalizing means.

Describing the invention, as embodied 'in the drawing, in greater detail, the body 5 is preferably of cast metal and is formed with an outer circumferential wall Ii and an inner wall 1 concentrically disposed therein to provide an annular chamber 8 therebetween and a flow passage 9 centrally disposed of the body 5.

The body casting is formed with a water inlet I communicating with the chamber 8 and with a water outlet I I in alignment with the flow passage 9.

at I3.

Fitted to the body, there is provided a cover member I4 provided with external screw threads I for engagement with the threads i3. To insure a leak-proof t between the body and its cover member, a gasket, such as shown at I6, may be provided. r

The cover I4 is formed with an annular ring surface Il which coacts with the flange I2 to clamp the peripheral portions of a-fiexible diaphragm I8, and in order to obtain a tight gripping of the diaphragm, the cover is provided with a polygonally-shaped head I9 for accommodation of a wrench or other like tool.

The lower portion of the cover I4, adjacent the surface I1, is reduced in diameter so that an annular chamber 29 is formed between the threaded portion of the body and the mentioned lower portion Vof the cover. Beyond the peripheral edge of the diaphragm I8, the flange I2 is formed with a bleed hole 2I which thus communicates the chamber 8 with the annular chamber 20.

The mentioned reduced portion of the cover I4 is provided with a horizontal bore 22 in which is fitted a cylindrical plug 23 having a central bleed hole 24 and provided with a rounded teat 25 projecting into the chamber 2B. Projecting into the chamber 26 formed between the cover I4 and the diaphragm, there is provided a ball cage 21 having a shank 28 also tted into the bore 22. The cage is provided with a freely movable ball valve 29, a valve seat 30, a passage 3l connecting the cage chamber with the bleed hole 24, and a port 32 communicating the cage chamber and the chamber 26. This assembly may have any angular disposition with respect to the bleed hole 2l. K

The main valve sleeve 33 is formed with a valve portion 34 having a sliding fit in the upper portion of the wall I and with three guide members 35 which afford equalized guiding of the valve sleeve in its movement within the sleeve wall "I, The upper portion of the valve sleeve is reduced in diameter as at 36 and over this reduced portion is positioned the centralr portion of the diaphragm I8 which is clamped to the valve sleeve by means such as the nut 3l. The mentioned reduced portion is upwardly extended as at 38 to form the seat for the auxiliary valve disc 39.

In the present instance the valve disc ispreferably made of non-metallic material and is housed in a cup 55. The valve stem lll, which passes through the central passage l2 of the valve sleeve 33, is formed with a threaded shank 43 having engagement with the disc holding cup, and with a shoulder portion lil having an abutng face for retaining the valve disc 39 in its cup.

The cup 55 is formed with a central projection 45 to act as a pilot for the coil compression spring l5 which projects into a recess seat il in the cover member ld.

The lower end of the valve stem il is formed with a shoulder 38 which serves to support a sleeve 139 movable with the stem and slidably mounted thereon.

The lower portion of the valve sleeve 33 may be threaded as at 50 for the reception of a ring 5l. A desired rate of flow through the passage 52 may be had by providing a ring of suitable diameter relative to the diameter of the mentioned passage.

The valve is provided with an operating handle 52 having a cam portion 53 disposed within a bonnet 54. which is clamped to the body 5 as by means of the nut 55 threadedly engaged with the cylindrical body projection 56. The handle cam 53 engages the disc portion 5l of a sliding stem 5S adapted for movement in the guide block 59 which is clamped between the bonnet 5@ and the p-rojection 53 by the nut 55.

Packing E@ is provided around the stem 58, said packing being housed in a seat in the guide block 50 and retained in position by a gland 5l. A compression spring 52 is disposed between the disc 5l and the gland 5| to serve the dual function of retaining said gland in place and for maintaining the stem 58 out of contact with the sleeve 139 until the handle 52 is moved.

The operation of the valve is quite well-known and briefly is as follows: When the handle is moved, the cam 53 moves the stem 58 to engage the sleeve [i9 and thus tilt the valve disc 39 off its seat 38. Water from the chamber will then pass into the outlet pipe 53 via the passage 42. The release of water from the chamber 25 now allows the water pressure in the chamber 8 to lift the diaphragm I8 and thus the sleeve valve 33. Fresh water from the inlet ID now pours through the chamber 8, over the top oi the wall "I, and through the centralpassage 9 into the outlet pipe 53. At the same time water is passing through the bleed hole 2l, into the annular chamber 2li, through the bleed 25 and passage 3l, into the ball valve cage 2, and out of the port 32 into the chamber 25. The rate of ow into the chamber 25 is relatively slow, it requiring anywhere between 9 and l2 seconds to fill the chamber 25 depending upon` conditions. During this time the ow of fresh water into the outlet continues and the lower end of the sleeve i9 moves with the diaphragm and with the valve sleeve to a point above and out of engagement with the stem 53. This permits the valve disc 39 to again seat itself on its seat 38 to stop discharge of water from the chamber 2S. As this chamber fills and the pressure therein equalizes with the pressure in the chamber 8, the diaphragm moves down to seat on the top of the 4 wall l and thus breaks the flow from the chamrefber 8 into the outlet pipe B3. Upon release of the handle 52, the stem will withdraw to allow the sleeve 49 to drop to its initial position on the shoulder 48.

Since ushometer valves are placed in the fresh water supply li. ne which is also tapped for human consumption, it is essential that no reverse flow be started from the outlet 63 to the inlet line l0. This at times occurs, whether due to suction or to the establishment of a syphon action. It is for the purpose of preventing this reverse flow that the ball valve 29 is provided. Any reduction in pressure in the chamber 3 will ordinarily cause a commensurate reduction in pressure in the chamber 265 with the resultant lifting of the diaphragm from its seat. However, any tendency to reduce the pressure in the chamber 25 when the valved disc 59 is seated Vwill cause the ball 29 to be sucked against the seat and thus to seal the pressure in the chamber 25. Thus it will be evident that the greater the syphoning force on the chamber 8, the more tightly will the diaphragm seat on the rim of the wall 1.

As seen from Figure 4, should syphon break.- ing means be unnecessary, or should other syphon breaking means be employed, the ball valve may be omitted and merely a small orifice 25a provided in the skirt portion of the cover ill.

Note should be made of the extremely simple construction of the ush Valve as herein disclosed; of the ease with which it may be assembled; of the lack of sensitively adjustable parts; and of the efficient manner of its operations. The present disclosure does not exhaust the structural possibilities and it is conceded that many changes within the scope of the invention as contemplated may well be made by skilled persons. Hence, the prior art, rather than this specic disclosure, should form the basis for determining the scope of the invention as claimed.

lI claim:

1. In a ushometer valve having a cylindrical wall concentrically disposed to form an annular water inlet chamber; a pressure balancing chamber, a diaphragm between the pressure balancing chamber and the inlet chamber, an inreaching annular ange on which the outer peripheral margin of the diaphragm rests, an internally screw-threaded portion above the annular flange, a cover member having external screw threads for engagement with said threaded portion, an annular ring surface on the bottom of said cover for cooperation with the flange to clamp said peripheral margin of the diaphragm between it and the flange, the lower portion of said cover being reduced in diameter to provide an annular chamber between the threaded portion of the body and the reduced portion of the cover, the outer circumference of the diaphragm being substantially coextensive with the outer circumference of the reduced end of the cover, said flange having a bleed hole therethrough located beyond the peripheral edge of the diaphragm to communicate the inlet chamber with the annular chamber and said reduced portion of the cover having a bleed hole therethrough to communicate the annular chamber with the pressure balancing chamber.

2, In a flushometer Valve having a cylindrical Wall concentrically disposed to form an annular Water inlet chamber; a pressure balancing chamber, a diaphragm between the pressure balancing chamber and the inlet chamber, an inreaching annular ange on which the outer peripheral margin of the diaphragm rests, an internally screw-threaded portion above the annular flange, a cover member having external screw threads for engagement with said threaded portion, an annular ring surface on the bottom of said cover for cooperation with the flange to clamp said peripheral margin of the diaphragm between it and the flange, the lower portion of said cover being reduced in diameter to provide an annular chamber between the threaded portion of the body and the reduced portion of the cover, the outer circumference of the diaphragm being substantially coextensive with the outer circumference of the reduced end of the cover, said flange having a bleed hole therethrough located beyond the peripheral edge of the diaphragm to communicate the inlet chamber with the annular chamber and said reduced portion of the cover having a bleed hole therethrough to communicate the annular chamber with the pressure balancing chamber, a valve sleeve slidably fitting within the cylindrical wall, the upper portion of the valve sleeve being reduced in diameter to provide a shoulder, said reduced portion being externally threaded and extending through the center of the diaphragm, a nut cooperating with the sleeve threads to clamp the diaphragm between the nut and the shoulder, a portion of the sleeve extending upwardly beyond the nut and having a rounded edge to provide a seat for an auxiliary valve disc, and an auxiliary valve disc releasably held against said seat and manually operated means to unseat the auxiliary valve disc to reduce the pressure in the balancing chamber.

MICHAEL WARD. 

